A Chinese model poses next to a Toyota Yaris at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show on April 22, 2008. (UPI Photo/Stephen Shaver)

TORRANCE, Calif., July 23 (UPI) -- Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE:TM) has a slim, but widening lead in the race to beat U.S. auto giant General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM) in total vehicle sales for the year, sources said.

Toyota led GM by 160,000 vehicles after the first quarter of the year, a spread that increased to 260,000 vehicles by June 30, the Detroit News reported Wednesday.

GM sold more than 2.28 million vehicles in the second quarter, boosted by a 10 percent gain in foreign sales.

GM's North American sales are down 15.3 percent for the first half of the year, the News reported.

Toyota's sales gained 2 percent in the second quarter, to 2.406 million from 2.36 million vehicles in the first quarter, the company said.